Nik Vucevic brings skills at center for Magic

Posted by
Inside Hoops

Aug
20

Vucevic doesn’t compare to [Dwight] Howard athletically or on the defensive end — not by any stretch.

But he provides a more well-rounded offensive game than Howard did – the ability to shoot outside. Vooch also showed he can collect rebounds at a Dwight-like rate at times, finishing second in rebounding to Howard last season and mimicking Howard as a double-double machine.

Vucevic, the 76ers’ No. 16 pick in the 2011 draft out of USC, had a break-out season. He averaged 13.1 points and 11.9 rebounds after limited playing time as a rookie with the Sixers. He recorded 46 double-doubles – the third highest total in the NBA.

He exposed defending champion Miami’s lone weakness, feasting on the Heat’s soft interior with two 20-20 games, including a franchise-record 29-rebound performance.